Tate Liverpool reveals more about first major Keith Haring show in the UK

Tate Liverpool has revealed more information about its Keith Haring exhibition - the first major show of his art in the UK.

More than 85 works by the Pennsylvania-born artist – including large-scale drawings, paintings and sculptures - will go on display at the waterfront venue in 2019 in what Tate bosses believe will be a hugely-popular summer blockbuster exhibition.

Haring, who died of AIDs-related complications in 1990 at the age of 31, was a part of the legendary New York art scene of 1980s, and was inspired by graffiti, Pop Art and underground club culture. His instantly recognizable motifs include barking dogs, crawling babies and flying saucers.

He worked with like-minded artists such as Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, and with fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, Malcolm Maclaren and Grace Jones, and his work responded to issues including racism, homophobia, drug addiction, AIDS awareness and the environment.

Tate Liverpool Director Helen Legg said today: “Keith Haring and Liverpool have much in common. They’re both politically engaged with a history of activism, a strong sense of social justice and a love of music and fashion.”

Above: Untitled 1983. Top: Ignorance = Fear 1989 All Haring Works © Keith Haring Foundation

And Darren Pih, Tate Liverpool’s Exhibitions & Displays Curator, added: “Visitors will be fully immersed in the world and work of Haring in an exhibition that revisits the cultural energy of 1980s New York.

“Although best known for his iconic visual language, we will offer visitors the opportunity to understand more about Haring’s motives as an artist and see that activism played a key part in his career.”

The exhibition aims to evoke the style and spirit of the 1980s in rarely seen archival documents, video and photographs while Haring’s immersive ‘black light’ installation from 1982 presents fluorescent works under UV light accompanied by hip-hop music.

It will also shed light on the performative nature of Haring’s work, from his live chalk drawings on the New York subway to working with artist and photographer Tseng Kwong Chi who documented his practice.

Keith Haring is at Tate Liverpool from June 14 to November 10 2019. Tickets from the website HERE